Two weeks ago, Francesca and I had the pleasure of joining PUMA and Liberty London as they celebrated strong women and their new collaborative collection of streetwear. Using bold visuals and bright colours, the line flips the soft connotations of florals for a collection that reflects the strength of wildflowers and the resilience of women.
With the big unveil falling on the final day of London Fashion Week, what better way than to host a panel of *pause* INCREDULOUS women discussing their journey and celebrating their success, all while embodying the strength, power and creativity that’s channelled in this collection.
Tucked away in PUMA’s revamped flagship in Carnaby Street and hosted by Stefanie Sword-Williams, Francesca and I sipped on cocktails as we listened to the likes of Fisayo Longe, founder of Kai Collective; Natalie Glaze, co-founder of Stay Wild; and Dior Bediako, founder of Pepper Your Talk.
Fisayo couldn’t commit to a brand that wasn’t hers
Fisayo, a Forbes 30 under 30, started KAI back in 2016 because of her love for “print and material”. But her journey has been far from easy. Just the previous year, Fisayo had been trying to break into the fashion industry after quitting her job as an auditor. Faced with rejection, no money and feeling lost, she was finally given the chance to become a fashion buyer at none other than Liberty! However, it was here that she realised she couldn’t commit to a brand that wasn’t entirely her’s.
Thanks to her strong following on Instagram (40k at the time), Fisayo assumed starting a womenswear line would be a walk in the park. “The night before the launch, I was on Rightmove looking at houses to buy because I thought, OF COURSE, I’d blow!” But very soon the stark reality of starting a brand hit her hard.
Yet, despite all the lows; over the years, her passion and perseverance have gotten KAI to where it is today. And even with all the success, she laughed, “I still haven’t bought a house”.
Natalie made sure she left on a good note
Natalie, co-founder of Stay Wild, gave herself a six-month buffer of doing “shitty work” whilst working on her swimwear brand. If it didn’t work out, she’d call it quits and return to her old marketing job: “I made sure I left on a good note in case I did have to go back”. But to avoid this, she asked everyone she knew if they had any odd jobs that needed doing. “I was doing admin here, packing parcels there. It was pretty hard”. But unlike her full-time job, it freed up her time to work on Stay Wild.
Despite Natalie not having any previous experience in the industry, her premium, slow fashion brand is a success in its own right. Stocked in Selfridges, featured in Vogue and winning a Drapers Sustainable Fashion Award, within three years of its inception, Stay Wild is doing bits! But Natalie stated, “I’m not creating swimwear for me, I’m creating it for women”. Stay Wild came to fruition because of her love for the planet, sustainability, and she could see that people wanted that in a brand. As a result, she’s always involved her audience along the way.
Dior reaffirms that you already have everything you need
Dior, a self-proclaimed ‘international big girl’, is the founder of Pepper Your Talk. Having worked in fashion (and loving it!), she knew she couldn’t give her all to a brand that she didn’t own, and so, Pepper Your Talk was born. PYT is the go-to platform for anyone who seeks a career in fashion. It provides articles, events and workshops that are changing people’s lives – honestly, someone who attends stopped me mid-convo with Dior just to say!
And with all the gems Dior was dropping earlier, who could be surprised? She admitted that although she’s experienced lows, “growth comes from sad times”. She encouraged us all to be our own biggest cheerleaders and that “you already have everything you need inside you”. Many people may not have the knowledge, capital or experience, per se, when first starting off. She used the lovely Fisayo as an example: “but look where she is now.” Who says you can’t do it too?
PUMA x LIBERTY: Made for the wildflowers. Click here to view the collection.
